Cord reel



Nov. 20, 1928. 0 1,692,517

D. B. REPLOGLE CORD REEL Filed Aug. 20. 1923 DANIEL BENSON REPLOGLE, FBERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, FASSIGNOR TO COMMERCE GUARDIAN TRUST AND SA VINGSBANK, TRUSTEE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

CORD REEL.

Application filed August 20, 1923, Serial No.

This invention relates to devices for housing cords or ropes of a givenlength, and has for its objects to provide a light weight, strong andconvenient portable reel in which to wind a service cord forelectrically connecting. electric appliances; to render the same safefrom soil and injury, to remove the tangles therefrom after use, torender the same in a readily accessible package, to make the sameconvenient to handle; and to house and protect cords or ropes used forother purposes.

To these ends the'invention consists in the construction andarrangementof parts and devices as set forth herein and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. l-showsa side elevation ofthepreferred form of the device, suggesting the po sition of the ends of aservice cord when wound-therein, but having parts broken away to showthe interior arrangement of the parts. Fig. 2 is a section taken on theline X-Y of Figure 1 tofurther show the interior. Fig.

3 is a perspective view of one of the spacing rings from the centralportion of the device.

Fig. 4 shows a portion of the central or middle revolving disc, andsuggests the method of hookin into it, the cord to be wound. Fig.

5 is an edge elevation of the mouth portion of the device. Fig. 6 showsdetail of parts used in .constructing the mouth portion. Fig.

7 suggests a substitute form or modification ofthe device wherein theends of the to be wound extend out from opposite sides of the reel,instead of both from the same side.

Like characters of reference denote like parts thruout the views inwhich-1 denotes an encasing pan-shaped disc and 2 a ring portion of asimilar formed disc, reversed and 40 facing the same to form an annulardishshaped enclosure inside of which the assembled winding spoolrevolves. The spool is made by taking a cylindrical ring 3 and pass ingit thru the open centres of discs 2, a spacing ring 6, the centralslotted flange ordisc 4,

' another spacing ring 6, and the knob carrying disc 5. These areswedged togetherfio prevent relative turning with one another,

- making a compact three-flange spool, turn-.

able by the knob 5. Before assembling the spool with the case, a spindleon which it is to turn is provided by anchoring to. the central openingof the'encasing disc 1, a c lindrical horn 1 over which the ring 3 sides witha freely revolving fit. After placing it cord 658,849, and inGermany about June 21, 1923.

- thereon,

and thet W0 are well clamped together by the metallic claspin g band 7which clasps annular edges of each to each thruout the circumferenceexcept at the mouth 8 of the casing. It may be noted that the portioncut from the centre of ring 2, in the economy of manufacture, will serveas disc 2'; butthe disc 5 is a little larger than the hole from which'disc 2" is removed, so that its annular edge rests under the annular 1i'2" of the ring portion 2, this serving as a eeper to prevent the spoolfrom coming off its cylindrical horn or spindle 1 in operation. Itisalso to be noted that the rings 6, 6 are made from metal strips withcrinkles 6, which make waved edges to the rings and serve to make betterfrictional engagement with the discs assembled.

The mouthS of the assembled articleerde vice is formed by spreadingbraces 9. and 9' having cylindrical shanks 13, 13 each extending thruand clinched to peripheral edges of the case members 1 and 2 which arehere bent outwards by recurves 14 and 1.4 on each. To

the middle of one of'them, 9, a wire dctent' 10 is secured at 11, andhas a book 12 adapted to clasp over the middle of the other brace 9, andto lie between the two separate portions of the cord to be wound, butmay be un'hooked for removal and replacement of the cord 15 to be woundor housed in the completed device.

The operation of 'thedevice is readily apparent. A cord 15 is insertedby first bending a sharp loop 15 [at the middle of its length, and thisloop is slipped into the radial slot 4 of the central spool flange, bytemporarily staggering the tips 4", of the slitted periphery and tweenthem. After thus inserting the 1,692,517 PATENT OFF passing the loopbe.-.

I the cord is wound 1n by turning of the spool the ring 2 is faced. upto the disc 1 with reference to the casing, and a separate portion ofthe .cord is spirally wound on either side of said flange, the spacesbeing such that in width they will accommodate but one thickness of thecord, while the spaces are filled by spirally winding upon.themselves,the separate halves of the cord, one'on either sideof the middle flangeor disc without any possibility of crossing or tangling. Furthermore, asis apparent, the round exteriors of the braces 9 and 9' with the detent10- lying between them, serve to remove twists and tangles from the twoportions of the cord and direct each to its own side of the housing. In

unwound, its

service, as for instance, service extension electric conduction may bepartly wound or plug 16 connecting with any source of electricity, andits socket 17 connecting with any appliance, as fiat-iron or sweepingmachine, while the reel may hang on a suitable peg extending thruthe'ceritral opening of the spindle 1 of the device, thus keeping thatpart of the cord not actually needed off the floor and out of the way ofthe worker.

A particular advantage in handling the cord is to be noted due to thecentral opening just referred to. This hole provides place forthefingers in grasping the reel, since the thumb and fingers may span fromthe hole to the periphery of the device. When thus held by one hand, theend connections of the cord may be grasped by the other and by asimultaneous pull on both ends of the cord is unwound in a very quickmanner; the construction of the central opening being such that nomoving part is exposed to the grasping hand since the cylindrical hornor spindle 1 is either integrally made with the cover disc l or rigidlysecured to it.

In the substitute form, the cord has the same relation and positionwithrespect to the interior discs, save that one end of the cord is carriedhalf way round further than the other and brought out thru a mouth atthe opposite side of the housing. The two months necessary are providedby clamping the disc l'to the ring 2 with the mouth portions 180 degreesapart. When thus assembled, it is clearly unnecessary to have the'detent10 to lie between the entering portions of cord; but to insert the cord,it is necessary to remove an end connection and pass the cord endwisethru from side to side until its middle loop can be carried around asexplained in the preferred form. In inserting the cord in the preferredform, it is necessary to swing the detent out of the way as suggested indotted lines in Figure 1, so that the middle loop may be extended to theslot 4', which hooks it along around when the spool is turned in thedirection indicated by the arrows,as indi cated in dotted lines inFigure 4.

Having thus described the invention and its operation, it is notintended to be confined to the specific constructions indicated, forgreat variation may be had without departing from the general spirit ofthe invention; which I broadly claim as follows:

1. A cord reel comprising essentially a dish shaped cover and a thinspool, the said cover having a rigidly anchored central bearing memberon which the spool is adapted to be revolved, said spool being providedwith a central slotted disk adapted to have looped therethrough the cordto be wound, and a separate disk adapted to make a closure of the coverwhen the spool is in place.

2. In a cord reel, a cover having a disk shaped side with a peripheralrim and having a central opening, peripheral openings through said rimat opposite sides thereof, a central cylindrical bearing member in saidcover rigidly secured around said central opening, a spool revolublymounted on said bearing member and adapted to have a doubled cord woundthereon, the opposite end portions of said cord extending out throughthe peripheral openings in the rim of the cover.

3. In a cord reel of the kind described, a cover having a disk shapedside with a rela tively large central opening, a bearing member rigidlysecured at said opening, a spool having an open centered drum adapted tofit revolubly on the bearing member aforesaid and within the cover, acentral and an outer disk on said spool, the central disk having a slotadapted to have a cord to be wound looped therethrough and the outerdisk provided with means for applying the hand to revolve the spoolwithin the cover.

4. In combination, a dish-shaped cover having a flat wall with arelatively large open centre, a peripheral rim having cord passagestherethru, and a horn rigidly secured to said open centre, a spoolrevolvably mounted on said horn as a spindle and adapted to be revolvedwithin said cover, a central disc on "said spool having a slottherein,'a cord looped thru said slot, one portion of the same adaptedto be wound on one side of said central disc, an outer disc on saidspool and the other portion of said cord adapted to be wound on theother side of said central disc between said central disc and said outerdisc, the ends of said cord extending thru the openings in theperipheral rim aforesaid, together with means for revolving said spoolwithin the cover.

5. An annular chambered cord-housing member with rigid continuous wallsand an open unobstructed center, one side of said housing member beingopen, in combination with an open centered spool member adapted to filland to be revolved within the annular chamber and about the open centerthereof, said spool being provided with a disk shaped side adapted toclose the opening in said housing member when the spool is in place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DANIEL BENSUN REPLOGLE.

